Are there any task-oriented textbooks for Thai?

[Guest]

I have been plodding through "Thai for Beginners" on my own, but I have been getting a bit frustrated with the structure of the book. You are learning vocabulary and some grammar, but I have this sinking feeling that I'm just getting rather haphazard bits that will not allow me to have even simple useful conversations.

 

Are you aware of any textbooks that structure the material in a more task-oriented manner? I liked the approach in the textbook for Japanese that was used during my aborted lessons in Japan. It started with 'taxi Japanese' which allowed you to give basic directions (go straight, turn left at the 2nd traffic light, stop after the pedestrian overpass, etc.), which was of course vital for getting around in Tokyo. There were basic instructions for making a phone call (asking for someone, greeting, leaving a message, asking to be called back, etc.) Likewise, there were basic scripts for ordering in a restaurant (yell "sumimasen" , etc.)

 

There of course was also vocabulary, grammar and an emphasis on moving quickly away from the crutch of romanicized phonetic spelling. "Thai for Beginners" has the same emphasis on learning the real alphabet quickly, which I like - it gives you something useful to do when you have to study without access to Thai speakers. Unfortunately the approach for structuring the material is not as well thought. Sometimes the choices are really peculiar. For instance, in the list of occupations it includes "film star" and "spy", but not words like "waitress" or "factory worker"!

 

Wagner

 

[khwaimaisabai]

Hi ws,

 

I think you are right about Thai for Beginners. It is a good book but not very well structured for learning.

 

I learnt the basics, with a teacher, by using the AUA course. I then moved on to the AUA reading and writing course which I thought was very well structured. I don't know if the books are available generally or how effective they would be without a teacher.

 

I don't know of any other material. I have seen some "Basic Thai" books that are difficult to follow and full of mistakes - so Thai for Beginners may be as good as you will get. I believe some of the schools have their own material, but this is only available to fee paying students.

 

Khwai